Hi all....I am a retired mechanic.(hgv/psv/cars vans)... back in the 70s I ahd a few bikes ...bantam 650 aj..bsa 500.....and now I need a project to keep me interested....so...do you think its possible to build a bike fom parts alone or better to start with a complete bike and work from there...I ask because a few of complete bikes ive seen need a lot of new parts to make good...Im not after building a museum piece..but good looker.....more questions later

They always say to buy the best that you can, not be seduced by the idea of fixing it up- which always costs more than the more complete bike costs

Depending on what your ideal bike is, and what extent your "restoration" is, it can get scarily expensive if you try to find a set of triumph bathtubs or other tinware . Bigger bikes tend to be more expensive but smaller bikes, although cheap to buy, cost the same to do up in terms of labour.

So if you pay to have rebuilt wheels and a paint job on a bantam, it's close to the costs of the same work on a Bonnie

Very sage advice from Dave. The cost of restoring a good bike is the same as restoring a shocker if the aim is a concours machine. Of course the fun of the chase to find all the necessary parts if you are building completely from scratch (OK lets say you start with a frame) is not to be dismissed but it will probably make for a lengthy project. If you just want a nice shiny bike get one that some other mug......sorry enthusiast has already spent a fortune on, it is the cheapest way .